Mike Tyson -vs- The Paparazzi

Mike Tyson is not in this car.  If he were, then this would be a pretty good illustration of how quickly the Airport Police out at LAX dashed him past the line of media crews waiting for him to come out of the station the other week.

I took this picture because I knew I wasn't going to get a chance to snap any still shots of the "real" car.  It's difficult to shoot both video and stills, so it's times like this when I really have to focus on doing my job.



Anyway, you remember the Champ was picked up for being involved in a scuffle in the terminal (or men's room depending on who you ask) with an aggressive photographer.

I imagine it was just like that scene in "The Hangover" when he knocks out that guy with one punch.

Lucky me, I was sent out to LAX to help cover the story.  You know it was kind of on my mind that I had to figure out what I'd do if Mike Tyson was knocking out all photographers who tried to take his picture.



It was a relief that it seemed to be an isolated and possibly provoked incident.

Lots of media converged on the Airport Police Station.  We'd found out somehow that Iron Mike was still inside and he was going to be transferred to another station.  I think we all knew we weren't going to get an extended "perp walk" on this one.

If we were lucky, we might get a few seconds of video that we'd be slowing down and looping to cover whatever we put on the air.

It was cool though, because we were being given the heads up on what was going to happen.



It was nice of them.

By the way, the funniest thing I heard all night?  At one point when I was told that Mike Tyson had gotten into a fight with a photographer, somebody asked, who won?



That was hilarious.  You know, the smart money was on Tyson in the first round.

We got our five seconds of Tyson video and went back to the airport terminals to do live shots.

We'll have to wait and see how the rematch goes, because I think it'll be held in court.  Lawyer-wise Tyson might still have the edge, but at least it won't be over in the first round.

If it's pay-per-view, I might have it on at my house and invite people over.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Smokey Dokey Sunset.

Even though we live pretty close to the ocean, I'm usually not thinking about sunsets at the beach.  Usually I have no time, so it's just not on my radar most days.

A few friends have suggested I get out and take some beach pictures lately, so I decided to make a quick run for some golden hour shots (sunset style).



The freaking beach was quiet and very nearly empty.  I guess that's what you get this time of year.



What was even stranger happened just as I was getting the last of the setting sun.



I noticed a plume of smoke coming from the sun.  OMG!  The sun has set something on fire!  For a moment there, I was also totally thinking rapture and apocalypse.

Ha-ha, so long, sinners!  Sayonara, Suckers!



Then I noticed a fire department boat racing out of the channel with lights and sirens going and I realized that maybe it was just a burning boat.

Side note:  Did anybody ever read Joseph Wambaugh's book, The Golden Orange?  I think that was the last of his novels I read before he started up with the Hollywood station books.  I only mention it, because the cover had artwork of a boat burning with a plume of smoke in front of the sun setting over the ocean.  This was freakily similar to that.



Anyway, I tried to call the station to see if they were interested, but we had a bad connection (and besides, HELLOOO, I'm on vacation).



I saw one of our news choppers zipping past a few moments later.  Okay, they were on top of it.  I went back to shooting.

The smoke added a nice orange glow to the post sunset sky.  I spent another half hour or so, appreciating the evening ligtshow provided by mother nature and somebody's possible horrible tragic event.

Bravo.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Something's Burning

This could be newsworthy.

I'm out at Dockweiler Beach taking a few sunset shots and this popped up on the horizon.

Posted via email from beFrank's posterous

Along for the Ride.

Since I'm on vacation, let's flash back to last week when I was doing some cool stuff with Orange County law enforcement.



Reporter Juan Fernandez and I were assigned an HFR (hold for release) story about a big inter-agency operation targeting teenagers violating curfew.  Cities like Orange, Anahiem, Santa Ana and Tustin all have 10pm or 11pm curfews for 17 year olds and younger.

We got to ride along with a Tustin unit participating in the operation and came across a pretty good amount of criminal activity.



I don't mind telling you, I've been in police cars before (I don't mind because it's always been in the course of shooting video).  Never been arrested (in this country) and never been hooked up and thrown into the back of a squad car.

It's sad to see so many young people casually doing the wrong things and running into trouble with the law.



Being out past curfew might seem like a pretty small violation of the law.  You might think the police have better things to do.

That was my thought during the early part of the evening, but I changed my mind after seeing how many minors were just along for the ride with felons and addicts who probably weren't going to be the most positive of role models.



The officers told us some pretty outrageous stories about the type of things they see in the run of a day.

I don't know if people like to believe the world is safe or if they just ignore the dangerous stuff going on around them so they can make it through life.



It's like we're sick and ignore the symptoms.  The level of drug and gang activity, even for a city like Tustin, is pretty surprising.  I hate to think what it must be like for a larger city like Los Angeles.

We were only riding along for one night, but we ran into a pretty good cross section of the bad guys that the Tustin Police know well enough to be on a first name basis.



I don't expect the world to be perfect and in fact, I know it's a pretty dangerous place.

It's just frustrating to see so many young people throwing their lives away completely or making bad decisions (just for kicks) that can easily send them down the wrong path.



I don't have any answers for the problems that other people face in their lives.  I know we live in a difficult world.  I just hope that by covering the story, we reach other people beyond the relative few who were directly involved.

Maybe I've used it before and I still don't know who originally said it, but one of my favorite quotes heard this year was simple, "It doesn't matter how far down the wrong path you've gone, turn around."

I know for some people it might not seem like a choice, but I think it is.

It just might not be easy.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

A Few Words.

My vacation is proudly sponsored by Red Stripe Jamaican Lager (that's fancy talk for beer).

Posted via email from beFrank's posterous

A League of One.

A cold, groggy, only marginally sane league of one, but still, there I was.  Up early on a Saturday morning to catch the sunrise and maybe a few nature shots with my new Canon 5DMKII (Let's call it, "The Betsy").

I was hanging out around the Del Rey Lagoon and it was 5:30(ish) in the AM.



I had planned on being up at 4:30am to get out there for the good morning "golden hour" sunlight.  The plan also included meeting up with a couple of the other Justice League of Photography (JLOP) members and everything was sort of going to plan.

Yeah, sort of.



I woke up at 5:20am.  Well, by "woke up" I mean my wife woke me up and asked if I was still going out to shoot pictures.

Freaking great, I overslept.  Maybe I should mention, I'm also on vacation and was determined to not goof off.  This "staycation" I wanted to make the most of my week.

Not really the best start I could have had.  After a panicked little cheerleader yelp, I jumped up to get ready and started gathering up my camera gear.

Boo-yaa!

I made it out of the house by 5:30am and zipped down the 105 Freeway towards the beach.



Made it to the meetup location at about 5:45am.  I have to admit, it was kind of quiet.  Quick check of the phone txt messages confirmed one no-show (hey, Paul!) and since I didn't see anyone else, I assumed I was going to be solo on this little photo adventure.

The morning sunlight was gorgeous.  I think it lasted all of maybe ten minutes.  Note to self, shoot more and shoot faster next time.



Before I get into the whole thing with the ducks, everybody take a few seconds to jump all over me for not posting much in the last few weeks (uh, months).  That's it, get it out of your system.  Don't forget to dump some guilt on me for having time to play Mafia Wars on Facebook.  While you're at it, also ask me, what's up with all the modeling photography anyway?

To be honest, for the last few months it's been easier (and more satisfying) to do the photography than the writing.  Don't panic, I'm not dropping the writing.  I've just had less waking moments to sit down and string words together.

Ahh, the joy of words.

The fact is, I still enjoy writing and I intend to keep writing. . .and taking pictures. . .and writing about the pictures I take.  If it's up to me, that ain't gonna change.  Hopefully, I'll just be able to find the time to do the things I enjoy.



Now, about those ducks.



I worried that there were no witnesses.  While out there, about the only other person in the area was this guy.  We can probably agree that he looked a lot more hard-core about nature photography than I did.

Let's be honest, I'm no National Geographics kind of photographer (yet).  I'd like to be versatile in my ability with a still camera and this was one of my few attempts to go out and shoot nature-y pictures.  As you can see, the guys shooting this kind of stuff for real use special gear like big long lenses and camoflauge.  Sometimes I bet they might even know something about their subject matter.

I grew up in Los Angeles, so I don't know much about nature.



The bottom line, I was just out there for fun and to get some time with the new camera.



It just surprised me when the birds (mostly ducks) all started making their way towards me.  Okay, it scared me a little also.  I was thinking that they could have been kind of aggitated because I was disturbing their morning routine.

These birds must be used to people tossing them some snackage.  I had a pretty good group of them willing to get close, but not TOO close.  Whenever I moved in for a shot, the ducks tended to casually scatter.

Like they weren't really concerned.



Having seen "The Birds" at an early impressionable age and having had traumatic experiences with the red rooster on my grandmother's farm, my initial reaction was to run.

Fortunately the ducks got near and then ignored me completely.  Just like at the end of the Alfred Hitchock movie.  They didn't attack, but we never really knew why.



The squirrels in the area certainly weren't talking.

As a photographer, I have a long list of the things I'd like to shoot someday.  Wildlife and nature work is on that list, but I'm not kidding myself.  Lions and tigers and man-killing beasts of the wild are a long way off.  I'm okay with whatever I can catch for now.

Baby steps.



I'm already on the third day of my vacation.  Rested and ready to go out and shoot some more because it still doesn't feel like I've really had enough time to break in the new camera.

Won't be traveling far this week, but I hope to take a few more staycation photographs.  At some point, I'm planning on just relaxing with a cold beer and sorting through tens of thousands of pictures from the last decade and also maybe printing some and getting my portfolio together.

Not the most exciting of times for most people, but I'm digging it.

Having a great time.  Wish you were here.

(BTW- Any thoughts on pictures shot with "The Betsy" are welcome.)

Blogged with the Flock Browser

MR2 Ducks!

Just up early to see if I can make people think I'm any less sane. (I think it's working.)

Posted via email from beFrank's posterous

Hanging with Sean

Parked right behind Sean at the unscheduled Tyson pay-per-view bout.

Posted via email from beFrank's posterous

That "New Car" Smell.

Okay, not the most inspiring of shots, but these were the first pictures taken with the new camera as I sat in the cafeteria at the station and recovered from my trip to the dentist.



I could have looked for some nice flowers or something that would have showed off the technical superiority of the 5DMKII over my aging 20D, but I was just happy to have a chance to stop for a minute, relax and read a page or two of the manual.



There's more to learn about the new camera and its' capabilities.  I'm eager to dive in, but I have to be patient.  There's only so many hours in the day.


Photo by Paul Skolnick

I can tell you this, the difference between the new camera and the old feels a lot like the difference between driving the used car you had in high school and the first car you bought new off the lot as a grown up.

They both might get you where you want to go, but there's really no comparison between the old and the new.

That being said, it also doesn't mean you don't have some great fond memories of the old camera.

Uh, car.

By the way, after my shift on Friday, I'm on vacation.  I intend to shoot much, write often and read voraciously during my week off.  The new camera purchase means I won't be able to travel far, but I intend to at least have some sort of adventure during the week.

I'll keep you posted.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Small World.

First, let me just say, Owwww!

I'm sitting in the cafeteria at work. Had a dental appointment this morning and it seemed easier to just roll into work rather than drive back home. I needed a loose filling replaced, so I'm kind of grumpy because going to the dentist, getting numbed up and not eating tends to do that to me.

Still, things are pretty smooth right now. Had an easy day yesterday. Tried very hard to grab a bit of news to put on TV, but it just didn't happen.

For the most part I'm glad and I'll tell you why.



I was sent out about 6:30pm to meet another crew in Whittier. Hollywood to Whittier at 6:30pm isn't completely traffic free, but it could have been worse. Shucks, it could have been 5:30pm.

Rita Garcia and her photographer Nick Mercado were heading to Whittier because of an Amber Alert. Children were missing and threats had been made. Sorry, but I never got the full story. I just knew we had a little over an hour to meet up in Whittier and put Rita on TV.



We arrived at nearly the same time. Rita and Nick from the South and I was coming up on the location from the North. They waved at me as we passed each other at an intersection.

The story was over.



The suspect had turned himself in and the children were safe. Yay, but the station still wanted a liveshot from us. It was about 7:50pm and they still wanted us for the top of the 8:00pm show. Nick and I started throwing the gear out and I ran up the mast.

We hit one bump in the road because I wanted to set up the liveshot for HD. We're still having some issues in our system and sometimes it just takes a little more time to get the signal locked in.

We didn't have the time.

I bailed on the HD signal, went back to standard definition and changed the cabling to match.

Rita was in front of the camera, the IFB was dialed up and Nick had her framed up.

I think there was less than twenty seconds to spare when the anchors tossed to Rita and she was live. No HD, but we made slot.

Sometimes that's as good as it gets.

After the live hit, we dropped the mast and packed away the gear. Rita and I went cruising for news in the Long Beach area and Nick went to help on another liveshot. It was just a slow news night and we never made it back on TV.

My dentist, who lives in Long Beach, saw us driving around the downtown area. That's what I was saying, small world.

Blogged with the Flock Browser